Distributed power management method for monitoring control/status signal of sub-modules to manage power of sub-modules by activating clock signal during operation of sub-modules

• US 6,915,438 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: ArrayComm LLC (Ygomi LLC)
• Inventors: Boros, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US10/406,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 713/600, 713/300, 713/320, 713/322, 709/202
• US Class Current: 713/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3281 Power saving in PCMCIA card
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are described for distributed power management. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method comprises monitoring one or more signals relating to the operation of each of a plurality of sub-modules; and managing power independently for each sub-module based on the monitored signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring one or more signals relating to the operation of each of a plurality of sub-modules, the plurality of sub-modules including a first sub-module coupled with a second sub-module, wherein monitoring signals for the second sub-module comprises monitoring a control signal from the first sub-module and monitoring a status signal for the second sub-module; and

managing power independently for each sub-module based on the monitored signals, wherein managing power for the second sub-module comprises activating a clock signal for the second sub-module upon receiving the control signal from the first sub-module and deactivating the clock signal for the second sub-module upon receiving the status signal for the second sub-module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the clock signal for each sub-module is activated only for the duration of an operation of the sub-module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a signal indicating that the first sub-module has valid data or a signal indicating that the first sub-module has completed an operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status signal comprises a completion signal from the second sub-module.

5. A power management system comprising:

a plurality of power management units, each power management unit being associated with one of a plurality of sub-modules;

each power management unit to control the operation of a clock signal for the associated sub-module, a first power management unit to provide a signal to activate an associated first sub-module upon receiving a control signal for the first sub-module from a second sub-module and the first power management unit to provide a signal to deactivate the first sub-module upon receiving a status signal from the first sub-module.

6. The power management system of claim 5, wherein each power management unit controls the operation of the clock for the associated sub-module independently from the operation of a clock for any other sub-module.

7. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the clock signal for each sub-module is activated only for the duration of an operation of the sub-module.

8. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the first and second sub-modules are connected in a chain, the second sub-module preceding the first sub-module.

9. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate sequentially, the second sub-module operating before the first sub-module.

10. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate at least in part in parallel.

11. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate partially in parallel as a pipeline.

12. The power management system of claim 5, wherein the control signal comprises an initiation signal for the associated sub-module.

13. The power management system of claim 12, wherein the initiation signal comprises a start signal or an enable signal.

14. The power management system of claim 12, wherein the status signal comprises a completion signal from the associated sub-module.

15. The power management system of claim 5, further comprising a power management unit master coupled with the plurality of power management units.

16. The power management system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of power management units can provide a clock enable signal to the power management master unit.

17. The power management system of claim 16, wherein the power management unit master provides a clock signal to a sub-module upon receiving a clock enable signal from the power management unit associated with the sub-module.

18. A power management unit comprising:

a plurality of detectors to detect signals relating to the operation of a sub-module, the detectors including comprise a detector to detect an initiation signal for the sub-module and a detector to detect a completion signal from the sub-module;

an output to provide a signal for activation or deactivation of clocking of the sub-module;

a delay unit to produce a delayed start signal to the sub-module upon receiving an initiation signal for the sub-module; and

an output to provide the delayed start signal to the sub-module.

19. The power management unit of claim 18, wherein the initiation signal comprises a start signal or an enable signal for the sub-module.

20. The power management unit of claim 18, wherein the power management unit operates independently from the operation of a second power management unit that is contained in a system with the power management unit.

21. The power management unit of claim 18, wherein the signal for activation or deactivation of clocking for the sub-module is a clock enable signal.

22. The power management unit of claim 21, wherein the clock enable signal is provided to a power management unit master.

23. The power management unit of claim 22, wherein the power management unit master provides a clock signal to the sub-module upon receiving an active clock enable signal.

24. The power management unit of claim 23, wherein the clock signal for the sub-module is activated only for the duration of an operation of the sub-module.

25. The power management unit of claim 18, wherein the signal for activation or deactivation of clocking for the sub-module is a clock signal provided to the sub-module.

26. A power management system comprising:

a power management unit master; and

a plurality of power management unit slaves, each power management unit slave being coupled with the power management unit master, each power management unit slave being associated with a corresponding sub-module of a plurality of sub-modules, each power management unit slave to provide a clock enable signal to the power management unit master upon receiving a control signal for the associated sub-module and to provide a clock disable signal to the power management unit master upon receiving a status signal from the associated sub-module.

27. The power management system of claim 26, wherein the power management unit master provides a clock signal to a sub-module upon receiving a clock enable signal from the power management slave associated with the sub-module.

28. The power management system of claim 26, wherein each power management unit slave controls the operation of the clock signal for the associated sub-module independently from the operation of a clock signal for any other sub-module of the plurality of sub-modules.

29. The power management system of claim 26, wherein two or more of the plurality of sub-modules are connected in a chain.

30. The power management system of claim 26, wherein two or more of the plurality of sub-modules operate sequentially.

31. The power management system of claim 26, wherein two or more of the plurality of sub-modules operate in parallel.

32. The power management system of claim 26, wherein two or more of the plurality of sub-modules operate partially in parallel as a pipeline.

33. The power management system of claim 26, wherein the control signal comprises an initiation signal for the associated sub-module.

34. The power management system of claim 33, wherein the initiation signal comprises a start signal or an enable signal for the associated sub-module.

35. The power management system of claim 26, wherein a status signal comprises a completion signal from the sub-module.

36. An interchangeable computer adapter card comprising:

a master control unit to control operations performed on the card;

a physical layer processor; and

a radio section to transmit and receive radio signals to and from the card, the radio section comprising a power management system, the power management system comprising;

a plurality of power management units, each power management unit being associated with one of a plurality of sub-modules;

each power management unit to control the operation of a clock signal for the associated sub-module, a first power management unit to provide a signal to activate an associated first sub-module upon receiving a control signal for the sub-module from a second sub-module and the first cower management unit to provide a signal to deactivate the first sub-module upon receiving a status signal from the first sub-module.

37. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein each power management unit controls the operation of the clock for the associated sub-module independently from the operation of a clock for any other sub-module.

38. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the clock signal for each sub-module is activated only for the duration of an operation of the sub-module.

39. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the first and second sub-modules are connected in a chain, the second sub-module preceding the first sub-module.

40. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate sequentially, the second sub-module operating before the first sub-module.

41. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate at least in part in parallel.

42. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the first and second sub-modules operate partially in parallel as a pipeline.

43. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the control signal comprises an initiation signal for the associated sub-module.

44. The adapter card of claim 43, wherein the initiation signal comprises a start signal or an enable signal.

45. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the status signal comprises a completion signal from the associated sub-module.

46. The adapter card of claim 36, wherein the power management system further comprises a power management unit master.

47. The adapter card of claim 46, wherein each of the plurality of power management units can provide a clock enable signal to the power management master unit.

48. The adapter card of claim 47, wherein the power management unit master provides a clock signal to a sub-module upon receiving a clock enable signal from the power management unit associated with the sub-module.